An e-scooter or electric kick scooter is an electric motorized scooter – a stand-up scooter powered by an electric hub motor in its front and/or rear wheel. It is generally designed with a large center deck on which the rider stands.

They are classified as a form of micromobility; e-scooters are included in scooter-sharing systems that use apps to allow users to rent them by the minute. Such systems are now present in major and mid-sized cities all over the world.

Parts of an electric scooter include the deck, stem, handlebars, tires, suspension, lights, batteries, brakes, controller and motor.

E-scooters usually have two wheels between 8 and 11 inches (20–28 cm) in diameter, connected by a platform on which the rider stands, with a handlebar for support and steering.

There are three types of tires:

It is propelled by an electric motor, which makes gears unnecessary. It may support energy recovery by regenerative braking.

Range and speed vary considerably according to model. One reference shows ranges of 9 to 200 km (6 to 124 mi), and maximum speeds from 14 to 160 km/h (9 to 99 mph).

In 2017, bicycle-sharing companies such as Lime, along with scooter-only companies such as Bird, began introducing dock-less electric kick scooter sharing services. This segment of the micro-mobility market made large inroads in 2018, with numerous dock-less e-scooters deployed across numerous cities worldwide.